RED BULL: NEW YEAR. NO LIMITS.
Levi LaVallee Injury Necessitates Event Cancellation
SANTA MONICA, CA (December 17, 2010) - Levi LaVallee was injured on Tuesday, December 14, while practicing in Southern California for his planned world record snowmobile distance jump at this year's Red Bull: New Year. No Limits. event, set to take place in San Diego on December 31 and telecast on ESPN. LaVallee was immediately transported to a local hospital where he is in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery. As a result of this incident, however, it has been decided that Red Bull: New Year. No Limits. will be cancelled this year.
The safety of Red Bull’s world-class athletes is paramount, and all precautions were taken during LaVallee’s testing sessions to ensure he could perform in the safest-possible setting.
Leading up to the event, LaVallee, 28, from Longville, MN, worked with athlete performance experts, aerodynamics experts and engineers, in addition to his core team, in an effort to get the most out of his body and snowmobile. During testing, LaVallee jumped an astounding 361 feet, eclipsing the existing record by 60 feet. This jump will be submitted for world record certification.
LaVallee has had a very successful career in several snowmobile disciplines. A snocross racer for more than 15 years, he took up freestyle in 2007, and at Winter X Games 12 in 2008, he won the gold medal in the Freestyle and Speed & Style events and was named Athlete of the Games. In 2009, he won the Pro Stock Snocross championship and came thisclose to landing the first-ever snowmobile double backflip at Winter X 13, garnering global media attention. Earlier this year, at Winter X 14, he took gold in the newly-created Snowmobile Knock Out event, his seventh Winter X Games medal.
LaVallee was to be the fourth athlete to star in Red Bull’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration on ESPN, which highlights extraordinary athletes pushing their physical, mental and technical limits to break boundaries and records. Robbie Maddison jumped his motorcycle 322 feet over a football field in Las Vegas in 2007 and followed it up in 2008 by jumping onto – and off – of the 96-foot-tall Arc De Triomphe at Paris Las Vegas. Also in 2008, Rhys Millen backflipped an off-road truck. Last year, Travis Pastrana jumped his rally car 269 feet over water, landing on a barge in Long Beach’s Rainbow Harbor.
For high-res images of LaVallee for editorial use, please visit www.redbullphotofiles.com.
7 comments:
Thank the good lord above he will be ok
He has some pretty nasty injuries that will end his race career no doubt but he will be ok.
It will end his race season for the year.
Whether the Red Bull record-making jump can be made or not, the tiny town of Longville is super proud of our hometown athlete. We are praying for his speedy recovery and look forward to having him back home. New Year's Eve, rather than watching, while holding a collective breath, Levi do his wild jump, we will celebrate the man who has made Longville proud. Longville has "No Limits" when it comes to our humble, down to earth Levi. Get well soon Levi - your people await your healthy return.
Marilyn Ford, Editor
Pine Cone Press-Citizen
pineconepresscitizen.com
someone else needs to step up
Woohoo....congrats Levi!! You deserve that record. Stay strong and heal fast.((hugs)) from Brainerd.
Levi is in our prayers and in our hearts. We are so very proud of Levi but his health and well being mean the most. We are constantly praying!!
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